Breech-loading firearm



July 7, 1942. J. R. BUHMILLER BREECH LOADING FIREARM v Filed July 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l a Z M mi m wm N. J @m m wm mw um m m, KN

july 7 1942- J. R. BUHMILLER BREECH LOADING FIREARM Filed July 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NIU i@ uhmzZZw" Patenteci .Fuiy 7, 1942 Lila'iiiiil'l GFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a breech loading firearm, and more particularly to a breech loading rifle having a falling breech block for exposing the breech end of a rifle barrel to permit an exploded cartridge to be ejected therefrom and a new cartridge to be inserted.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a mechanism wherein parts carried by the falling breech block will be actuated during the downward movement thereof for cooking the u mechanism.

It is a particular aim of the invention to provide a rifle action of the character heretofore described of very simple construction, and comnosed of very few parts, which may be economically manufactured and sold and which will be very durable and eihcient in operation.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a rifle action which may be readily removed from a frame in which it is mounted for repair or replacement of parts.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a construction wherein the hammer is so mounted that there is a heavy pressure on the firing pin to resist the pressure of the explosion in the primer of the cartridge so that the firing pin will` -not be retracted by thispressure, but will support the primer to prevent it from being punctured.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide;

improved means of attaching the stock to the frame by means of a tailpiece connected to the frame with a bolt that extends through the stock and connects with the tailpiece.

Another aim of the invention is to provide an il improved trigger mechanism of simple construction which may be readily adjusted to obtain a very ne or light pull or a pull of any other specified weight.

Other objects and advantages of the invention if will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description ofthe drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein; c

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical central secview taken substantially along the plane of the line @-5 of Figure 5, and

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of the extractor shown detached from the rifle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, IS designates generally a portion of a rie including a frame, designated generally I I, and a stock I2 and a barrel I3. The frame II is provided in the upper end of its forward portion with a threaded bore I4 to receive the restricted threaded breech end I5 of the barrel I3. The frame II is provided with a recess I6, which is arcuately shaped in cross section and which alines with a cartridge chamber I1 of the barrel I3. rEhe recess I is open at its rear end so that a cartridge, shown in dotted lines of Figure 1, at It, may be passed therethrough to be inserted in or removed from the chamber Il' as will hereinafter become more fully apparent.

The frame I I is provided with a perpendicular slot I9, the lower end of which opens outwardly of the underside of the frame I I, while the upper end thereof opens into the recess I6. The frame IIl is also provided with a tapered recess portion 2i) to the rear of the slot I9 which tapers from the recess I to a point substantially intermediate of the ends of the slot I9. A recess 2l is formed in the forward portion of the frame I I and opens outwardly at its enlarged lower end from the bottom of the framel II and converges upwardly therefrom to adjacent the bore I4. The recess 2 I, throughout its length, communicates with the slot I9. The rear end of the frame Il is provided with an internally threaded socket 22 which is provided with a restricted opening 23 in the bottom thereof which communicates with the back edge of the slot I9, adjacent the lower end of the tapered recess 20.

A breech block, designated generally 24 is slid- .ably mountedy in the slot I9 and is provided with a recess 25 which extends therethrough, from the upper to the lower end thereof. The breech block 24 is provided with a solid portion at the forward side of its upper end forming a head portion 26 and is'also provided with a solid portion 21 adjacent the back part of its lower end, which is provided with a tapered extension 28 which extends below the under side of the frame i i. The head portion 26 is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined forward face 29 which engages the head or base of the cartridge I when the breech block 24 is in a raised position, as illustrated in Figure l. The head portion 25 is provided with a slightly inclined bore 39 which opens outwardly of its back face and which is provided at its forward end with a restricted opening 3l which opens outwardly of the inclined face 29. A firing pin 32 is mounted in the bore 39 and is provided with a pointed forward end 33 which is slidably mounted in the opening 3l and a head 34 at its opposite end which is normally urged outwardly from the enlarged end of the bore 39 by an expansion coil spring 35 which is disposed therein.

A hammer 35 is pivotally mounted at its upper end by a pin 31 in the upper end of the block 24 behind the head portion 26 and extends downwardly therefrom into the enlarged intermediate portion of the recess 25. The hammer 35, at its lower end, is provided with a forwardly projecting extension 38. The forward edge of the hammer 36, intermediate of its ends, is provided with an inclined face 39, disposed substantially at a right angle to the bore 30, to provide a bearing surface for the head 34 of the pin 32 which projects from the bore 30 and which bears against the surface 39 of the hammer 35, which thereby limits the outward movement of the firing pin 32, which is urged outwardly or toward a retracted position, away from the cartridge I8, by the spring 35.

A lever 48 has an end 4I extending upwardly into the recess 2I which is pivotally mounted adjacent said end by means of a pin 42 in the lower portion of the recess 2I. The end 4| is pivotally connected by means of a pin 43 to one end of a link 44, the opposite end of which extends upwardly into the recess 25 and is pivotal- 1y Vconnected to the breech block 24 by a pin 45 beneath, and adjacent to the head portion 26. The lever 49 at its opposite end is provided with a hook shaped portion 46 forming a finger grip, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described, and adjacent its end 46 is provided with an outwardly bowed portion 41, which forms a trigger guard, as will hereinafter become apparent.

A sear 48 is pivotally connected to the breech block 24 by means of a pin 49 which extends through an opening in one end thereof for mounting the sear in the recess 25 above and adjacent to the upper face of the portion 21. A sear spring 50 at one end is seated in a recess in the upper face of the portion 21 and its opposite end is seated in a corresponding recess in the under side of the sear 48 to urge the forward, free end of the sear 48 upwardly relatively to theA recess 25. The upper edge of the sear 48, adjacent its free endis provided with an oblique shoulder I for engaging a corresponding oblique shoulder 52 on the under side of the extension 38 of the hammer 35 when the hammer is in a cocked position, as will hereinafter be described. A trigger 53 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the breech block 24 by a pin 54 and depends downwardly therefrom. The pivotally connected portion of the trigger 53 is disposed in the lower end of the recess 25 and is provided with a detent 55 which extends inwardly into the recess 25 with the free end thereof disposed to abut against an extension 55 formed on the upperportion of the free end of the sear 48, when the parts are in a red position, as seen in Figure 1. A set screw 51 is mounted in a threaded opening in the detent 55 for engaging the free end of the sear 48, beneath the extension 56, when the hammer 35 is in a cocked position.

The portion 21 is provided with an inclined bore 58 which extends therethrough and which is threaded to receive a threaded plug 59 which is adjustably positioned therein. An expansion coil spring 60 has one end disposed in the forward, lower end of the bore 58 and in abutting engagement with the plug 59 and the opposite end of the spring 59 projecting from the bore 58 and engages against the trigger 53 to urge it forwardly to thereby urge the detent 55 rearwardly. The extension 28 is provided with a set screw 6I to engage the trigger 53, when in a fully retracted position, and to thereby limit the extent of movement of the trigger toward a retracted position by varying the adjusted position of the screw 6I.

In Figures l and 3 the the stock I2 is provided with a recess 62 which extends from its forward end, toward its rear end, and which converges inwardly thereof to receive a similarly shaped tailpiece 53 which is provided at its enlarged end with an externally threaded shank 64 which engages the internally threaded recess 2,2. A bolt 55 extends through the stock I2 from the butt end thereof, not shown, and is provided with a threaded shank end which engages a threaded socket 58 in the restricted end of the tailpiece 53 for thereby connecting the stock I2 to the frame II.

The tailpiece 63 is provided with a recess 61 which extends longitudinally thereof from intermediate of its ends through the shank portion 64 for receiving a plunger 58 which is urged outwardly of the recess 31 by an expansion coil spring 59 which is disposed therein and which has one end bearing against a head 10 of the plunger 63. The plunger 68 is provided with a stem 1I which projects from the outer side of the head 10) through the opening 23 and which bears against the back edge of the hammer 36, adjacent its lower end, for urging it forwardly.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 5, the frame II isprovided with a recess 12, adjacent one side thereof, the lower portion of which opens inwardly into the recess 2I and rearwardly into the slot I9. At its upper end, the recess 12 is provided with a laterally projecting portion 13 which extends into and through a portion of the breech I5 and which opens on one side into the recess I3 and one end into the cartridge chamber I1. An ejector 14 is mounted in the recess 12 and is pivotally connected to the frame II by a pin 15. At its upper end, the ejector 14 is provided with a laterally projecting claw 16 which is disposed in the portion 13, when the ejector is in a retracted position, as seen in Figure 6. The ejector 14 is provided at its lower end with a rounded enlargement 11 which extends into a recess 18 in the forward face of the breech block 24 when the ejector 14 is in a retracted position. The recess 18, at its upper end, terminates in an upwardly and outwardly inclined face forming a cam surface 19 which is adapted to engage the enlargement 11 when the breech block 24 is moved downwardly to retract the enlargement 11 to lock the ejector 14 on its pivot 15 and to move the end 16 thereof to a projected position for ejecting a cartridge I8 which is disposed in the chamber I1, as will hereinafter become more fully apparent.

Assuming the parts to be in the position as seen in Figure 1, which shows the parts of the rifle I9 in positions that they will assume after the rifle has been fired, to reload and cock the rifle, portion 45 of the lever 4I] is grasped and swung downwardly and forwardly to position the lever in the dotted line position, as seen engages against the Y gage the enlargement 'detent'i55engages the'- extension 56 to'th'ereby governi the amountof-pull andAVV pressure required lto pull the 'tri'gger53' to a' released position. The

in Figure 1. This 'movement of rthe lever A4i! will cause its end 4l to swing rearwardly `and downwardly to swing the link 44 rearwardly anddownwardly to thereby retract the block 241 downwardly, to its dotted line position,'below the level of the cartridge chamber l1. -Simultaneously with the movement of the breech block 24, thehammer 156 is swung rearwardly in the iecess25 due to the fact that itsextension linkM, which, when moved rearwardly, retracts thehammer 35 Yto thereby retract the plunger "66. -The hammer 36, when retracted, has its back edge disposed'in the recess -211 VAs the hammer 36swings rearwardly on Vits pvot .31 lits shoulder '52 will move Iover the extension 256 of the sear 148 until it is 'disposed .rearwardly of the .shoulder 5l, "thereby permitting the sear spring to swing the sear i8 upwardly so thatthe shoulderi5l willbe disposed in front of, andinabutting engagement with the shoulder 52 which combine toform corresponding cam surfaces. When the sear '66 is thus moved upwardly its extension 56 will move'upwardly and out of engagement with the `upper end of the detent 55 permitting the trigger 53 to be projected forwardly by its-spring 66, thereby causing the upper end of the detent 55 to move into position beneath the extension `56 to retainthe hammer 36 in a retracted,.co'cked position.

As the'block ZLl is moved downwardly,as heretofore'described, and as it approaches its fully retracted position the cam'surface 19 will/en- 11 to project the'ejector 1li so that its claw y15, which-is disposedbehind the flange of the head or base of the cartridge i6 which is disposed in the chamber Yl1, will be projected rearwardly to eject the red cartridge outwardly/of the rifle I0 through the recess I6. A fresh cartridge l may then -be inserted through the recess I6 and into the chamber l1 which positions the flange of the head thereof against the claw 16. When the lever 40 is swung from its dotted line position to its full line position the breech block 24 will be swung upwardly by the parts 4| and 44 swinging back t0 their full line position. As the breech block 24 moves upwardly its inclined face 29 will engage the head of the fresh cartridge I3 and press it into the chamber I1 to thereby retract the ejector 14 to return it to its position, as seen in Figure 6. The hammer 36 during this upward movement of the block 24 will be retained in a cocked position by the trigger 53, as heretofore described. With the hammer 36 thus held n in a retracted position the firing pin spring 35 will retract the firing pin 32 so that its pointed end 33 will be retracted into the opening 3l with its head 34 moving rearwardly with and remaining in engagement with the surface 36. The trigger 53 is now pulled to release the firing mechanism which is accomplished by the detent 55 moving out from beneath the extension 56 and causing the plunger 68 to be projected to project the hammer 36 and swing the sear 68 downwardly, and which, as it moves forwardly, projects the firing pin 32 to cause its end 33 to engage the primer, not shown, of the cartridge i8 to discharge the cartridge. The rifle l0 may then be reloaded and recocked, as heretofore described.

When the parts of the firing mechanism are moved to their cocked position said screw 51 moves into engagement with the forward face of the scar t!! to limit the extent to which the adjacent one end, to ythe breech block, and said end-,projecting upwardly of the frame, said set screw 51 may be readily adjusted to vary the weight of the trigger or the pressure required to move it to a released position, when the block '24 is 'in a retracted position. The plug 59 may be similarly adjusted, with the block 24 in a retractedposition, for adjusting the pressure of the spring 66 so that by these two adjustments it is'possible to obtain a very fine adjustment of the trigger 53 without disassembling or disconnecting any parts of the mechanism.

Various modiications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a rifle, aframe having a perpendicular slot extending therethrough, a slidably mounted falling breech block disposed in said slot, said breech block including a solid head portion provided with Aa bore, a ring pin mounted in said bore and having an end extending through the forward end of said head portion, said pin having a head at its opposite end, a spring disposed in said'bore and bearing against the head of the firing pin for urging the pin to a retracted position, said 'breech block being recessed beneath and behind said head portion, a hammer pivotally mounted at its upper end in the upper end of the recess of said breech block and extending downwardly into the recessed lower portion thereof, said hammer having a forwardly projecting 'extension at its lower end, a link pivotally connected `at one end to the breech block and disposed in the 'recess thereof beneath its head portion, Yand a'lever pivotally connected, the frame, forwardly of -having an extension at extension lbeing pivotally connected to the opposite end of said link for swinging the link rearwardly and downwardly to retract the breech block downwardly when the opposite end of the lever is swung downwardly and forwardly of the frame, a sear pivotally mounted in the recess of said breech block and provided with spring means for urging the scar upwardly, said sear and hammer being provided with oppositely facing, obliquely disposed shoulders for inter-engaging when the hammer is retracted by the extension of the hammer being engaged by the link, during the rearward movement of the link, for retaining the hammer in a retracted, cocked position, a trigger pivotally connected to said breech block and provided with a detent for engaging beneath a portion of the sear, when the hammer is disposed in a cocked position, for holding the parts thus positioned, and a spring projected plunger mounted behind the breech block and projecting into the recess thereof and engaging the hammer, adjacent its lower end, for projecting the hammer, when the sear is released by retraction of the trigger to move its detent portion out of engagement therewith, the head of said ring pin being disposed against the forward face of the hammer and adjacent its upper end to be projected thereby.

2. A rifle as in claim 1, comprising a tailpiece detachably connected to the frame and disposed in the stock, fastening means for detachably connecting the tailpiece and stock for securing the stock and frame, said tail piece and stock being removable Without disturbing the parts connected to and carried by the breech block, and said tailpiece being recessedfto form a cylinder for receiving the plunger and plunger spring.

3,. Ina gun, a frame having a horizontal reand arranged to engage the ring pin, adjacent its upper end, a spring projected plunger for normally holding the hammer in a projected position, VYsaid plunger engaging the hammer adjacent the lower end of the hammer, a lever pivotally connected t the frame and having one end extending outwardly therefrom, a link pivotally connected at one end to the breech block and at its opposite end to the opposite end of saidflever whereby the breech 'block will be retracted downwardly, when the lever is swung forwardly of the frame, and projected upwardly whenl the lever is swung rearwardly of the frame, said hammer being disposed to be engaged by the link when the breech block is moved downwardly for retracting the hammer, a spring pressed sear pivotally mounted in the lower portion of the breech block for engaging beneath a portion of the hammer, when the rlatter is ina retracted position, and a trigger pivotally mounted in the lower end of the breech block for engaging under portion'of the sear for latching the hammer in a retracted, cocked position.

4. A rifle provided with a perpendicular slot f extending therethrough,l a sliding. breech block mounted in the slot, a trigger guard pivotally connected to the rifle, a link connecting the trigger guard and block, said trigger guard forming a lever for raising and lowering the breechy block, a firing pin slidably mounted in the block, an elongated hammer pivotally connected to the block at its upper end and engaging the firing pin near its upper end, said hammer being in f the form of an elongated lever and being swingably mounted in the block, a spring. projected plunger slidably mounted behind the breech block and engaging the hammer, adjacent its lower end for urging-said end forwardly, a forwardly extending projection on the lower end of the hammer engaging said link to cause the hammer to beA retracted thereby, relatively to the block, when the link is actuated to retract the block downwardly, a sear carried by the block for engaging the lower end of the hammen when the hammer is in a retracted position, and a trigger engaging the sear for releasably holding the sear in a projected positionl to latch the hammer in a retracted position.

5. A rifle as in claim 4, said firing pin being in engagement rwith the hammer when the rhammer is in a projected or retracted position.

6. A rifle as inclaim 4, said hammer being in engagement with the iring pin and .plungen I when the hammer is in either a projected or retracted position.

7. A rie as in claim 4, comprising a trigger spring mounted in the breech block and engaging and holding the trigger in a projected posin tion, and means for adjusting the tension of saidy trigger spring, said means being mounted in the block and arranged to be exposed, when the block is retracted downwardly'so that meansr can be adjusted without disassembling any parts of f the rifle.

8. A rifle as in claim 4, comprising means for varying the distance the trigger is moved to ref lease the sear, said means being disposed so 

